Heritage
by Menoko
Summary: Sura gets assigned to the Enterprise to attend its next five year mission. After initial problems, she can settle down on the Enterprise. But the initial problems weren't the only ones she brought aboard the Enterprise. T for romance and some violance.
1. Welcome aboard

Chapter 1

"Have you ever seen a vulcan woman in your life?" Sulu asked Chekov, after he overheard Spock speaking with Kirk about the new Engineer. Rumors said that she was Vulcan, as the first officer Spock.

"No. Do you think she looks like Spock with boobs?!" Chekov joked and send a broad grin over the console to Sulu. In that moment the Turbo lift door opened and a young Engineering officer stepped out of it. Her black hair was tied to a neat, shiny bun and her neatly cut Pony reached barely to the tips of her arched eyebrows. Her observant, dark eyes took a short look to the interior and the people at the bridge, than she went straight to Captain Kirk and his first officer Spock. The first thing Sulu noticed was, that she wasn't wearing the usual Uniform dress, but the more for men usual black uniform pants and a red Engineers Uniform Shirt. Another thing Chekov noticed first was that she was of rather short height, nearly one head smaller than Kirk and Spock.

"Captain, report ready for Duty" she said in a low, melodic tone and stood straight for a moment.

"At ease Ensign…", "Sura, Sir" she answered when the Captain struggled with her name.

"Yeah, welcome to the Enterprise", "Thank you, sir. May I have a short talk with you, in private?", "Of course! Just follow me!" She followed him into his office.

"Well, she seems to be vulcan", "Yes, she is vulcan" Chekov confirmed and turned around again. "Fascinating!" Sulu murmured and turned around, as well.

"So, what is it?" Kirk asked and took a seat in his big boss chair behind his desk.

"May I speak freely, Sir?" Sura asked and folded her hands behind her back.

"Of course, if you come a bit closer". Sure stepped quickly from the doorframe to the opposite site if Kirks desk. "Captain, I do not wish to be preferred in any way, just because of my heritage!" Sura said as fast as possible.

"Which heritage do you mean?" Kirk asked back and folded his arms in front of his chest "Because of your vulcan or because of your…", "Because of both". Kirk nodded slowly.

"You can be sure, that you will not be preferred by anyone just because of your heritage, nor because of your gender. You were chosen for this mission because of your skills and nothing else. Mr. Scott has great confidence in you!" Kirk answered Sura's question and stood up from his chair.

"Do you have any more questions Ensign?" Kirk asked and stepped forth to Sura. "No", "So there's nothing more to do for me than wishing you a good first shift". Sura tilted her head a little "thank you, Sir". Then she left the Captain's office. Kirk set on his Desk and smiled after her.

"Ah, Ensign Sura! I was desperately waiting to meet you. Your theories are very remarkable! I can't wait to discuss some of them with you!", "Thank you Mr. Scott. I appreciate your theories, as well, especially your Transwarp-beaming theory". Scotty grinned broadly and began to show Sura around.

"She's a very well formed young lady, our Enterprise", "Although I am not able to understand the human habit to personify objects, I appreciate it. It makes the human way to work more…efficient." Scotty laughed heartily.

"What makes you assume that?!" he asked her and leaned against a wall and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You feel more connected to your ship, so you are more concerned about it, what leads to a bigger interest, so you work harder and with that, more efficient." Scotty laughed again and turned around to resume his guide tour through the Enterprise's machine room.

"Your usual place of work will be at my side. You will be my assistant as the second chief engineer, respectively my substitute.", "I already know that Mr. Scott. I want to thank you for your confidence in me. Normally only Lieutenants or higher ranks get second chief engineer. It must have been difficult to appoint me for this position.", "No, not as hard as convincing Commander Spock. He was a bit worried about you!", "What do you mean?", "He thought it would be difficult for the crew to be on a five year mission with two vulcan under them!"

"Commander Spock!" Sura called down the hall. Spock stopped immediately and turned around.

"Yes?", "May I have a word with you, Sir?", "Sure Ensign, what is it?".

Sura cleared her throat, "I heard that you proposed against my appointment to the position as the second chief engineer of the Enterprise and wanted to ask you, if this is true", "Yes, at first I was against your appointment, but as you can see, I changed my mind."

"May I know the reason?", "I do not think this is the right place to discuss this matter Ensign!", "Enlighten me, Sir", "This is a confident matter", "No, it is a matter that is about our work on this ship, so it is not private. And on the other hand it is a matter between you and me, so it is not confident. I want to know the reason now!", "Don't lose the control over your Emotions, Ensign Sura!" In that moment Sura realized, that she was breathing heavy and that her hands were sweaty.

"But as you are so pushy, I will answer your question. I don't think it is good for a ship and its crew, if there is a female and a male Vulcan on it. As you know, you and I will come to Pon Farr and there are a lot of other things in the vulcan culture human and other Species do not understand. So I think one vulcan is enough", "So it is not because of my romulan heritage?" Spock shivered nearly unobservable.

"It is not because of your romulan heritage. If you would excuse me, I have other important things to do!", "Thank you Commander Spock" Sura kept standing in the hall for some minutes, before she turned around to leave. Or better, tried to leave. Before she could react properly, she found herself lying on the floor.

"Excuse me, I am so sorry! I didn't meant to bump into you!" A young Lieutenant was sitting the opposite direction of her, his things covering the floor around him. "No problem, I am all right. Are you injured?", "No, I don't zink so" The young man helped her to stand up and began to gather his things together. Sura stood a bit uncomfortable in the hall.

"Can I help you?" the young Lieutenant looked up immediately and smiled at her.

"Oh no, it is not so much, I can handle zis alone!" She thought about something to say. Should she excuse herself for not being attentive enough? Should she try to have a little 'small talk' with this young Lieutenant? But it seemed like the young Lieutenant took the decision away from her.

"I am Pavel Chekov" he beamed at her, holding his books tightly to his chest

"I am Ensign Sura", "Oh I know! I zink everyone on zis ship knows your name", "What do you mean?", "You are zhe first female vulcan officer in Starfleet. Zere are many crewmembers, who never ever saw a female vulcan, so you may excuse zeir curious looks!", "You may be sure, that I am used to curious looks" An uncomfortable silence was hanging in the air.

"You play 3-D Chess?" Sura asked after assessing Pavel's books in lack of anything else to do "Yes, I love it! Can you play 3-D Chess?", "Yes, I used to play it with my father", "So maybe we can have one match, or more?"


	2. 3D Chess

Chapter 2

"So you are originally from vulcan?", "It seems obviously to me, that a vulcan woman is from vulcan" Pavel smiled uncomfortably and did his next move.

"Did your parents survive?" Sura waited before she answered this question.

"My Mother did survive. We were both on another planet when IT happened. I don't know what happened to my Father." So Sura did her next move.

"IT happened five years ago and you still don't know, if your father is still alive?!" Pavel asked shocked.

"My Mother and I were banned from the vulcan community. We will probably never know if he survived Nero's attack", "Why were you banned from New Vulcan?", "This is hard to explain to a non-vulcan" Sura did her next move.

"Then try to explain it in a way I understand it" and Pavel did his next move.

"I don't think that I can explain this to you", "Please, try it", "I can't" both did their next move.

"Is the vulcan culture that hard to understand, that you can't even explain it to someone else?", "No, it is another reason, that has nothing to do with the vulcan culture", "With what has your ban to do?", "Checkmate!". Chekov checked the Chessboard several times. She really defeated him.

"How did you do zat?", "Well, you should learn to fully concentrate on the Chessboard, rather on the person you are playing with", "But I never saw zis type of mow! Where did you learn it from?" Chekov asked pretty impressed and grinned at Sura.

"I learned it from my father. I remind you that this move is easy to perform, when your opponent isn't fully concentrated. But maybe I should ask you, where you learned it from, as this move is a vulcan invention!"

Chekov wrinkled his forehead "What do you mean?" he asked her. Sura took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second. The young Lieutenant was working on her nerves.

"Mr. Chekov, if you want to share a sexual relationship with me, I would appreciate, if you would say it directly and stop admiring moves of mine as absolutely new and hyper intelligent, although you did them in the match before!" Sura said empathetically. Chekov let one of the Chess figures he was about to place on the Chessboard fall in shock.

"You misunderstand me…", "No, I don't think so. Would you please stop lying!", "Why do you zink I am lying! I don't want to share a sexual relationship wis you – well, not in first place – but I'm more interested in zhe Vulcan culture and I hoped, zat you would maybe tell me a bit more about it, zan Commander Spock!", "So there is no reason for me to stay!" Sura stood up and walked to the door.

"I really didn't want to insult you and I apologize if I did so!" Chekov said apologetically and bowed his head a little.

"You did not insult me", "But why are you leaving zhen?" Sura kept standing in front of the door for a little while. She had no answer for that question. Why did she want to leave? Finally she turned around.

"We can talk about the vulcan culture another time. I hope you understand that I am very tired and need some rest. Good night Mr. Chekov!" she said and left. Chekov kept standing at the door for some time, before he turned around and put away the chessboard. He felt a bit overtaken by this vulcan woman, who did not seem to be unemotional in any way.

Meanwhile Sura was running down the halls to her quarters. She kept running and running, faster and faster, till she had reached her quarters, where she started to cry as soon as the door had closed.

"It was creepy I tell you! Scarifying!" Chekov finished telling Sulu the story from the night before, when they were sitting in the mess hall.

"Why was it scary? Did she try to enter your mind without your permission?!" Chekov scowled at Sulu, who was grinning wickedly at him.

"No. She showed emotions without being provoked by me! When she left my quarters she looked like she was about to cry. It is very scary to see a Vulcan being on the brink of crying!" Chekov continued, trying to convince Sulu that this event was scary, but Sulu only laughed once more and patted his friends shoulder. "I will never ever try to flirt with a vulcan girl again. They scare me to much!" he said, although Sulu signed him to be silent.

"I hope I did not scare you that much, that you are too scared of Vulcan people to learn more about the vulcan culture!" Chekov's ears turned bright pink in the moment the first word left Sura's mouth.

"Is this seat occupied?" Sura asked the two man, who shifted uncomfortably in their seats and looked slightly scared at her.

"Well, I assume the answer is no. Would you mind me sitting with you?" Sura asked and tried to not show her excitement.

"No, of course we wouldn't mind some female company. Come sit with us!" Sulu said and stood up to adjust the chair for her.

"What do you think about her?" Kirk asked and glanced over the Chessboard towards Spock.

"Who do you mean?" Spock asked and did his next move.

"Ensign Sura" Kirk answered and rubbed with his index finger over his lips as he thought over his next move. Spock breathed slowly in and out.

"She is a very insecure and very troubled person. She seems not to know her real heritage, respectively on which of hers she should concentrate." Answered and folded his hands.

"What do you mean?" Kirk asked and did his next move.

"She tries to hold back her emotions, but she often fails. I think, that her mother's influence disturbed her vulcan education, hence she wasn't able to gain the skill of fully oppressing her emotions." Kirk nodded slightly and watched Spock doing his move.

"Do you think this could impair her ability to work on this ship?", "No, I think this could even enrich the work done in Engineering. She thinks pragmatically and logical on one hand and emotional on the other, but this is just a theory. Her behavior could turn out to be totally different from my theory." Spock answered.

"So you think it is safe to let her have full access to the database of the Enterprise?" Kirk asked after some while and looked up from the Chessboard. Spock let some moves elapse before he answered.

"You assume she would betray Star Fleet? Well, I do not think so! She felt betrayed by Romulus when her mother had to send her to earth." Spock answered and leaned back.

"Why did she have to leave Romulus? I mean, I wonder the whole time why she was first send to New Vulcan, than back to Romulus and finally to earth. She must be very troubled!" Kirk murmured and shook his head, "poor girl".

"I do not think she feels like a poor little girl, as she is nor poor, nor a little girl. Even more, she would not show. The romulan part inside of her is too proud to admit and her vulcan – the logical part of her – would not allow her to show her emotions!" Spock admitted "But I agree with you, that she is a very troubled young woman. She is torn apart between two cultures!"


	3. Soft touch

Chapter 3

"If we reconfigure the Dilithium Matrix, we could drastically increase maybe even double the plasma output. Hence it would increase the ship's possible speed dramatically!" Sura closed her explanation calmly and shut off the monitor. Kirk nodded absently, than he looked over the big conference desk to Scotty, who was grinning broadly.

"What are the risks?" Kirk asked and stood up from his chair "And are they avoidable?" he continued and walked over to Sura.

"I mean, reconfiguring the Dilithium Matrix could disable the warp drive for a long time, not to think what happens if the Dilithium Crystals do not endure the strain and make the warp core collapse. Even worse, we could be forced to yield it thousands of light years from Starfleet space, without being able to hail Starfleet. If your reconfiguration is as powerful as you believe!" Kirk criticized Sura's and Scotty's work and opened a map of the Milky Way.

"Not to think of the possibility, that we get stuck in enemy space!" Kirk continued thoughtful.

"I think Mr. Scott and I can minimize these risks down to nearly zero!" Sura answered and crossed her arms behind her back "It is a very great opportunity for the ship and its crew, Captain! If it works, this is the biggest improvement for the warp drive since its invention!" Scotty said excited and stood up, "We would go down in history!"

"Mr. Scott is right, although this should not our main intention in my opinion. Anyway, your strategies and your achievements are taught at Starfleet Academy! You are living legends!" Sura admitted. Kirk rubbed over his lips with his index fingers, deep in his thoughts.

"Try it!" Kirk ordered, "Dismissed!"

"Your theory is very impressive Ensign. You could make history with this improvement for the warp drive!" Spock said to Sura, when she was about to leave the conference room.

"Thank you Commander! I appreciate your trust in me!" Sura answered him and had to hide a little smile.

"I should not have underestimated you, nor mistrust you. I am sorry!" Spock continued and walked out of the room. Sura followed him.

"You have a great career ahead of you!" Spock said calmly as always, while they walked down the halls, in the direction of the next turbo lift.

"Thank you Commander. You have a great career ahead of you, as well!", "Maybe Ensign, maybe. I will see you tomorrow Ensign. Good Night!", "Good Night Commander!" They took leave and Spock headed back to the bridge, while Sura headed for the turbo lift, where Chekov was already waiting.

"Hello Sura!" he greeted her and beamed at her.

"Hello Chekov!" she greeted him back and walked over to him, to stand next to him.

"So what was your day like?" Chekov asked, when the turbo lift door opened, "It was good. The conference was…pleasant!" Sura answered and stepped in as first.

"Yeah, it was great! Your theory is amazing! I loved to watch you explaining it!" he babbled excited and beamed broadly grinning at her. Meanwhile, their relationship had improved, as they had talked about vulcan and human culture. And about their own cultural and historical background. That meant, that on one hand Sura knew, that Chekov always wanted to become a navigator, because he got a portable 3-D star card made of cardboard and always wondered how to navigate through them, although you cannot see them and Sura wanted to become a Engineer, because her father gave her an old sonic screwdriver when she was a small girl, which she used to unscrew the screws of the furniture in her room and later for electronic devices. She still had it with her.

"What will you do today?" Chekov asked her and looked down on her shiny hair.

"Well, I do not know yet" Sura answered and stepped out of the turbo lift, as fast as the lift doors had opened. Chekov breathed deeply in, before he followed her.

"Maybe we could do something together, if you want to share your free time!" Chekov said and bit down on his lip due to his excitement.

"Yes, we could play some 3-D Chess together! I think I can control myself better this time!" She said and oppressed a little grin.

"Let's meet in an hour in my quarters?" Chekov suggested "No, let's meet in my quarters this time" Sura contradicted and turned around to go to her quarters.

"Shall I bring something?" Chekov asked and walked backwards in the directions of his quarters. "No, I do not think so!" Sura answered and walked around the corner.

"So, what is life on Romulus like?" Chekov asked, when they were in the middle of their third match.

"Pavel, I don't want to talk about it!" Sura answered and did her next move. A warm shiver ran down Chekov's spine, when he heard Sura say his name.  
"But you promised me to tell!" Chekov retorted and crossed his hands in front of his chest "Please tell me something about it! I told you so much about Russia, how my home country is like and you promised me to tell me something about yours! And know I want to hear something about your home country!" Sura looked down on the floor, than she looked up again.

"It is wonderful! The Nature and the landscape are so…amazing and fascinating! I never saw something as beautiful, as my homes landscape! I missed it, when I was on earth! I missed it so much. Even more, I missed my mother. She is the only one, who's left of my…family! I miss her…" meanwhile Sura was crying and sobbing. Chekov took one of Sura's hands with his hand. He could feel her trying to withdraw, but she didn't seem to really want to withdraw. Silently Chekov took her other hand in his other.

Sura's breathing had become faster. She felt like closing her eyes in pleasure. But she didn't want to assume it. Not in front of Chekov. But his touch, his hands on hers, holding them softly, but still strong. It felt so indescribable good, so pleasing.

"Is everysing ok Sura?" Chekov asked, concern thickening his accent. Sura tried to say yes, at least to nod, but all, that left her mouth, was a hoarse groan. "Are you sure?" Chekov asked again, when Sura's eyes closed in pleasure due to the touch. He wanted to withdraw one of his hands, but Sura held it tight in hers.

"Don't…leave, please!" she begged him and opened her eyes again. Chekov watched fascinated, how Sura's eyes fell close again, when he started to stroke her hands with his thumbs, how she bit down hard on her lip and how her breath flooded her lungs hard and uneven. At least he summed up his courage and withdrew one of his hands, to stroke softly over her cheeks, wiping away her tears. Her breath hitched at the sudden touch and she opened her eyes weakly.

"Don't leawe!" Chekov asked her and withdrew his hands. Slowly he stood up and went around the little desk with the chessboard on it, to sit next to Sura. Again he took one of her hands, but when he tried to take the other one, Sura withdrew it from his touch and lay it on Chekov's shoulder, drawing little circles with her index finger.


	4. Nightmares

Chapter 4

She walked over the green grass of her hometown's nearby flats, feeling the warm wind blowing through her open hair, smelling the wonderful smell of the blooming flowers around her. She slowly closed her eyes and let herself fall backwards into the warm grass, breathing deeply in and out. The grass was not only warm, but tickling her pleasantly at her bare arms, legs and feet and made her laugh. She stroked over the grass, gripping it firmly. This was the planet she loved, her home. Not the red deserts of vulcan made her feel happy, not the great halls of the vulcan Science Academy - her father's workplace – but the green flats of Romulus and the great halls of her mother's ancestors home. This was the planet, where her emotions were free, where she wasn't bullied for her rather short height. Where she was free.

"Sura" the low melodic voice of her father called her and her father's shade darkened the sun light.

"Hello Father!" Sura cried and jumped up to embrace her father. "I missed you!" she murmured into his wide robe and looked broadly smiling up to him.

"I missed you, too, Sura", he whispered back and kissed her on her forehead – of course, without showing any hint of an emotion. She took his hand and tried to drag him to the family's house, but her father let go of her hand and kept standing where he was.

"What is it, father?" Sura asked him, her eyes wide in fear.  
"Come here my darling!" he asked her, getting on his knees and opening his arms widely. Sura let herself fall into her father's arms, wrapping her arms around his neck and laid her chin on his shoulder. "I will have to leave for Vulcan immediately! Tell your Mother, that I love her!" he told her, pulling her tightly to his chest.

"But why?" Sura asked him, feeling tears filling up her eyes. But she would not allow herself to cry in front of her father. Not her strong father.

"There will be a problem on vulcan! I will have to aid our people!" he answered and took her by her shoulders, to push her away from him.

"Don't go! Don't go!" Sura screamed and gripped her father's robe.

"No Sura! No!" he screamed and pushed her away from him. Meanwhile tears were streaming down Sura's cheeks. "You know what will happen!"

The next thing she recognized was sand under her feet, falling rocks and a strong force, which was pulling her down to the ground. People were running around her, panicked, crying, praying to god. But Sura already knew what would happen. She already knew that all these people would die and no one would be able to do something against it. She looked up to the sky, where she could see a little black dot, the Narada. The Science Academy building in front of her had already collapsed. When another building close to her collapsed, the hot wind flew through her waist long open hair.

"This is it!" her father next to her said and laid one hand on her shoulder. The gravitation increased minutely, forcing the people to walk slower. "This is the big catastrophe of Vulcan! The genocide on our people" her father continued. Sura knew what was about to happen in the next moment. "You saw it happen. I know your telepathic abilities!" he whispered in her ear, but suddenly his hand, as well, as the ground under her was gone.

Soft lips were pressed on hers, moving slightly over the sensitive skin. She moaned quietly and took a firm grip on her kisser's neck. His slightly shaking hand laud in her waist, its thumb softly stroking over the cloth covered skin. Her lover's other hand was deeply buried in her open hair, fingers softly pressed into her head's and neck's skin. Another soft moan escaped her lips, when her lover's lips slightly parted and his tongue licked over her lips, parting them as well. She could see his thoughts, feel his feelings and his growing bulge in his pants. His feelings were so strong, so overpowering, feeling so good. Their tongues met between their lips, touching each other curiously. Pavel's hand shoved over her spine, up to her neck, making her head fall back. Her eyes roll back in her head, when Pavel started to kiss the soft skin over her neck. A helpless moan left her throat, when his tongue pressed softly on her skin and his lips sucked hard on it. Slowly Pavel's hand stroked over her breast, teasing her nipples. "Pavel!" she murmured and let one hand shove under his shirt.

"He will die, too!" a rough voice whispered next to her ear "And you will not be able to prevent it!" She opened her eyes widely in fear, looking up, to see the bright flesh of a phaser, burning a hole through Pavel. Screaming she rose from the nightmare.

Next to her lay Pavel, breathing slowly in and out. His fingers clung on to the blanket, holding it up to his nose. She softly stroked over his hair, musing his wild curls. He was still clothed in his uniform. "I love you!" Sura murmured and gave him a soft kiss on his forehead. He grunted quietly, mumbling something in Russian and rubbed over his nose. A little smile flitted over her lips.

"What time is it?" Pavel asked muffling in the blanked and cracked his eyes a little bit open.

"I do not know!" Sura answered and stroke over his forehead.

"I think I should go back to my own quarters!", he murmured and kicked away the sheets with his feet. He was still wearing his boots.

"No, please stay! Just for a while!" Sura asked him and gingerly touched his shoulder, stroking over it with her thumb, "Please stay!" she begged him and slowly leaned against his shoulder. Pavel wearily put his arm around her. Sura laid one hand on his chest and closed her eyes. His evenly heartbeat, his warmth and his scent made her drowsy. He lightly brushed over her hand on his chest with his right and with his left hand over her long, shiny, black hair.

"I love you!" Pavel whispered in her ear and kiss her on the pointed end of her earlobe. Sure whimpered quietly and gripped his shirt a little harder.  
"I…I love you, too", Sura whispered back and kissed Pavel on his lips. "Please kiss me!" Sura begged Pavel and laid her hand on his right cheek. Pavel met her request and kissed her lips. First slowly and softly, than harder and more passionate. Meanwhile Pavel laid on top of both and was about to make a love bite just over her collarbone. Sura moaned quietly and took firm grip of his shoulders.

"I think I should really go now!" Pavel murmured after watching the dark purple mark for some while. Sura nodded and bit down on her lip.

"What were you talking about?" Sura asked, after Pavel had stood up.

"What do you mean?", "You were talking in your sleep. I could not understand it, because you were talking in Russian. It is one of the languages I do not understand" Sura answered and slung the blanked around her thin shoulders.

"How many languages do you speak?", "Six! Standard, Romulan, Vulcan, Klingon, Andorian and German!". Pavel raised his eyebrows and gave Sura a last kiss, before he left her and her quarters.

The bright light in the halls first hurt in his eyes.

"Hey Pav, what are you doing 'round here in the halls, although it is already late?" Sulu approached him with fast steps and put an arm around his shoulders.

"Just left…for my quarters" Pavel answered uncomfortable and looked down to the floor.

"Where did you leave?" Sulu asked back, audible grinning, "Who is your new girl? She's pretty good at making love bites hu?"

Pavel kept quiet and walked slowly beside Sulu.


	5. Tales about fencing and fancying

Sorry guys, for not posting that long, but I had two pretty tough weeks, plus a loss of writing ideas. But today I kind of woke up and had an Idea and immediately wrote it down^^. Sorry again, for the waiting, but at least, now the story goes on (wait, wasn't it the show which was suppose to go on? *shrug* doesn't matter)

Please R&R

Menoko

"It is a very light and rather short foil. It is easier to handle for me!" Sura answered and took a big bite of her pizza.

"So you can beat me easier?" Sulu joked and took another fork of his spaghetti carbonara. Pavel was sitting 'between' them, Sura and Sulu facing each other and he set left to Sura at the rectangular table.

"It is one reason for choosing it" Sura answered and took the last bit of her pizza. Sulu grinned broadly and shook his head.

"You are fascinating!" he resumed joking and finished his meal.

"Pardon?" Sura asked him and whipped her mouth with a napkin.

"You look like a Vulcan, you behave like a Vulcan, but in fact, you are more human. You have humor, you change your expression slightly and you're not that stiff in your free time. You are great!" Sulu answered and took his napkin, "right, Pav?" Pavel just smiled at both and finished his lasagna. He wished he could hold Sura's hand. He wished he could be able to stroke back a lock behind her ear. She always opened her hair and tied it back a bit lazier after her shift. There was only a little number of people on the Enterprise, who ever saw her wearing her hair open. Of Pavel and Sulu weren't even the only ones.

"I am not human, Mr. Sulu! I am Vulcan and the behavior you assume as being human, is in fact Vulcan, only, that we usually oppress it!" Sura countered and looked over to Pavel. He shyly looked back into her dark eyes. He saw grief in them.

"I'm sure Commander Spock would be much more fun, if he would use your philosophy and not only Surak's." Sulu continued.

"Commander Spock's education and discipline in controlling his emotions is highly acknowledging! I am very impressed by his skill to close his mind for emotions!" Sura contradicted and stood up, to bring her tray back. The two older men followed her.

"What is your training plan for today, Mr. Sulu?" Sura asked when they were walking down the halls. "I will teach you some knew techniques!", "So that I can beat you even easier?", "See? You got humor!"; "I think that doesn't matter right now!"

Pavel just walked behind them and listened quietly to their conversation. "What will you do, Pavel?" Sulu asked Pavel, when they had reached the gym, "Some running, hu?"

"Yes. And after that, I will watch you embarrassing yourself!" Pavel grinned.

"What you mean with embarrassing ourselves? You think you look better running round the tartan track?" Sulu retorted and hit Pavel on his shoulder with his fist.

"Anyway we should continue our walk to the gym and start our training – which ever specific training it is – as fast as we approach there!" Sura ended the discussion and increased her steps speed. The two other men followed her down the halls, until they reached the ship's gym, a big complex of in fact three halls, one for gymnastic – although the gymnastics mat was more used for martial arts training -, the biggest in the middle for track and field's and the last one for games like Basketball, Soccer or Football – it could be varied easily, according to the specific sport. Sura and Sulu always used the gymnastics mat for their training, as it was hard enough to have enough footing and soft enough to prevent Sura from hurting when she fell over her own feet. The Three of them made their way to the Locker Rooms, where their ways parted.

"So what is this about you and Sura?" Sulu asked Pavel, while tying his shoelaces.

"What do you mean?" Pavel answered hypocritical and slipped his sweater on. Sulu tilted his head, raised his eyebrows and looked more than skeptic at his young friend. Pavel lifted up his shoulders and raised his hands in a defensive way when he saw his friend's gaze.

"What do you mean?" Sulu imitated Pavel "I'm not the little horny teenager I once was anymore, don't looked at me!" he continued and clapped his hands against his cheeks in order to act as being shocked. "Do you really think I believe you your halfhearted prevarications? I know you for more than five years, I served with you aboard this ship for more than five years, I am playing 3-D Chess for more than five years with you and we are telling each other our secrets for more than five years! Do you think you can secret a relationship from me?"

Pavel's eye's gaze wandered down from Sulu's shoes to his own. "It is not a real relationship. I don't even know if it ever was!" Pavel answered and buried his hands in his pockets. "I mean it was nice with her, you know, kissing and so on, but I don't think she feels the same for me and I don't want to be hurt by her, so I broke off the whole thing. Even more, I think it contraries Starfleet Regulations."

"I don't think it contraries Starfleet regulations. Why do you think she doesn't feel the same?" Sulu asked.

"Because she immediately recited Starfleet regulations when I asked her what this relationship means to her! She doesn't want to have a relationship with me!" Pavel answered yelling at Sulu and kicking one of the lockers shut.

"Did you ever ask her, if she doesn't want a relationship?" Sulu continued. If there was one way to avoid the biggest shamble in Enterprise's history, Sulu didn't know it yet. At this time he just tried to keep the damage as small as possible.

"Why should I? It is obvious!" Pavel yelled at him and sat down at one of the benches.

"Maybe she is afraid to let someone to close to her. Maybe she thinks in the same way of you, as you do of her! Maybe she thinks that you are not interested in her! Just ask her! She won't bit you your head off!" Sulu started another try to comfort his young friend and sat next to him.

"And what if I' m too afraid?" Pavel asked quietly and looked up to his friend through his lashes.

"You fight against Klingons, Romulans…ok this was a bad try, let's say against the scum of the galaxy, but you are afraid of asking a girl if she is interested in you?" Sulu joked and laid an arm around his friend.

"To be honest, in this moment I would prefer the Klingon!" Pavel joked, too, and smiled weakly at Sulu.  
"Come on, it won't be that hard! And now get out of here and forget about her and if it is just for the half hour you are running around!" Sulu advised him and stood up, signing Pavel to follow him.

"You are better, but you have to put more weight on your posterior foot! Only than you can start a good attack!" Sulu instructed Sura and started a new attack against her.

"Like that?" she countered and repelled the attack, only to hit Sulu hard against his rips.

"Yeah…like that!" Sulu answered, after another five attacks – which he lost by the way - and ripped away his head protection. "Your skills are improving fast! Are you training secretly?" he joked and left the gymnastics mat.

Sura scrutinized him confused, "Are we already at the end of the lesson?" she asked him and removed her head protection. Sulu nodded and was about to finally leave the gymnastics mat, when he heard a sudden, "Touché!" behind his back. He grinned and slowly turned around, just to see Sura standing ready on the mat, ready to attack him. He shook his head and put on his head protection on again.

"You will lose noob!" he snorted and attacked her in the most aggressive way he ever learned, finally chipping Sura's foil out of her hand. "See? You lost! Pride comes before a fall!" he joked and was about to leave the gymnastics mat again, when Sura suddenly attacked him from behind, throwing him to the mat. They were warily observed by Pavel, who was standing in one of the corners in the hall.

"You will lose!" Sura screamed and began to tickle Sulu, who was indeed ticklish, although he wore his thick fencing suit. At this sight, jealousy began to rise in Pavel's chest.


End file.
